Geochemical Evidence of Anthropogenic Impacts on Swiftcurrent Lake, Glacier National Park, Mt
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KECK GEOLOGY CONSORTIUM PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL KECK RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM IN GEOLOGY April 2011 Union College, Schenectady, NY Dr. Robert J. Varga, Editor Director, Keck Geology Consortium Pomona College Dr. Holli Frey Symposium Convenor Union College Carol Morgan Keck Geology Consortium Administrative Assistant Diane Kadyk Symposium Proceedings Layout & Design Department of Earth & Environment Franklin & Marshall College Keck Geology Consortium Geology Department, Pomona College 185 E. 6th St., Claremont, CA 91711 (909) 607-0651, [email protected], keckgeology.org ISSN# 1528-7491 The Consortium Colleges The National Science Foundation ExxonMobil Corporation KECK GEOLOGY CONSORTIUM PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL KECK RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM IN GEOLOGY ISSN# 1528-7491 April 2011 Robert J. Varga Keck Geology Consortium Diane Kadyk Editor and Keck Director Pomona College Proceedings Layout & Design Pomona College 185 E 6th St., Claremont, CA Franklin & Marshall College 91711 Keck Geology Consortium Member Institutions: Amherst College, Beloit College, Carleton College, Colgate University, The College of Wooster, The Colorado College, Franklin & Marshall College, Macalester College, Mt Holyoke College, Oberlin College, Pomona College, Smith College, Trinity University, Union College, Washington & Lee University, Wesleyan University, Whitman College, Williams College 2010-2011 PROJECTS FORMATION OF BASEMENT-INVOLVED FORELAND ARCHES: INTEGRATED STRUCTURAL AND SEISMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE BIGHORN MOUNTAINS, WYOMING Faculty: CHRISTINE SIDDOWAY, MEGAN ANDERSON, Colorado College, ERIC ERSLEV, University of Wyoming Students: MOLLY CHAMBERLIN, Texas A&M University, ELIZABETH DALLEY, Oberlin College, JOHN SPENCE HORNBUCKLE III, Washington and Lee University, BRYAN MCATEE, Lafayette College, DAVID OAKLEY, Williams College, DREW C. THAYER, Colorado College, CHAD TREXLER, Whitman College, TRIANA N. UFRET, University of Puerto Rico, BRENNAN YOUNG, Utah State University. EXPLORING THE PROTEROZOIC BIG SKY OROGENY IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA Faculty: TEKLA A. HARMS, JOHN T. CHENEY, Amherst College, JOHN BRADY, Smith College Students: JESSE DAVENPORT, College of Wooster, KRISTINA DOYLE, Amherst College, B. PARKER HAYNES, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, DANIELLE LERNER, Mount Holyoke College, CALEB O. LUCY, Williams College, ALIANORA WALKER, Smith College. INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES IN THE CRITICAL ZONE, BOULDER CREEK CATCHMENT, FRONT RANGE, COLORADO Faculty: DAVID P. DETHIER, Williams College, WILL OUIMET. University of Connecticut Students: ERIN CAMP, Amherst College, EVAN N. DETHIER, Williams College, HAYLEY CORSON-RIKERT, Wesleyan University, KEITH M. KANTACK, Williams College, ELLEN M. MALEY, Smith College, JAMES A. MCCARTHY, Williams College, COREY SHIRCLIFF, Beloit College, KATHLEEN WARRELL, Georgia Tech University, CIANNA E. WYSHNYSZKY, Amherst College. SEDIMENT DYNAMICS & ENVIRONMENTS IN THE LOWER CONNECTICUT RIVER Faculty: SUZANNE O’CONNELL, Wesleyan University Students: LYNN M. GEIGER, Wellesley College, KARA JACOBACCI, University of Massachusetts (Amherst), GABRIEL ROMERO, Pomona College. GEOMORPHIC AND PALEOENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA, U.S.A. Faculty: KELLY MACGREGOR, Macalester College, CATHERINE RIIHIMAKI, Drew University, AMY MYRBO, LacCore Lab, University of Minnesota, KRISTINA BRADY, LacCore Lab, University of Minnesota Students: HANNAH BOURNE, Wesleyan University, JONATHAN GRIFFITH, Union College, JACQUELINE KUTVIRT, Macalester College, EMMA LOCATELLI, Macalester College, SARAH MATTESON, Bryn Mawr College, PERRY ODDO, Franklin and Marshall College, CLARK BRUNSON SIMCOE, Washington and Lee University. GEOLOGIC, GEOMORPHIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AT THE NORTHERN TERMINATION OF THE LAKE HÖVSGÖL RIFT, MONGOLIA Faculty: KARL W. WEGMANN, North Carolina State University, TSALMAN AMGAA, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, KURT L. FRANKEL, Georgia Institute of Technology, ANDREW P. deWET, Franklin & Marshall College, AMGALAN BAYASAGALN, Mongolian University of Science and Technology. Students: BRIANA BERKOWITZ, Beloit College, DAENA CHARLES, Union College, MELLISSA CROSS, Colgate University, JOHN MICHAELS, North Carolina State University, ERDENEBAYAR TSAGAANNARAN, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, BATTOGTOH DAMDINSUREN, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, DANIEL ROTHBERG, Colorado College, ESUGEI GANBOLD, ARANZAL ERDENE, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, AFSHAN SHAIKH, Georgia Institute of Technology, KRISTIN TADDEI, Franklin and Marshall College, GABRIELLE VANCE, Whitman College, ANDREW ZUZA, Cornell University. LATE PLEISTOCENE EDIFICE FAILURE AND SECTOR COLLAPSE OF VOLCÁN BARÚ, PANAMA Faculty: THOMAS GARDNER, Trinity University, KRISTIN MORELL, Penn State University Students: SHANNON BRADY, Union College. LOGAN SCHUMACHER, Pomona College, HANNAH ZELLNER, Trinity University. KECK SIERRA: MAGMA-WALLROCK INTERACTIONS IN THE SEQUOIA REGION Faculty: JADE STAR LACKEY, Pomona College, STACI L. LOEWY, California State University-Bakersfield Students: MARY BADAME, Oberlin College, MEGAN D’ERRICO, Trinity University, STANLEY HENSLEY, California State University, Bakersfield, JULIA HOLLAND, Trinity University, JESSLYN STARNES, Denison University, JULIANNE M. WALLAN, Colgate University. EOCENE TECTONIC EVOLUTION OF THE TETONS-ABSAROKA RANGES, WYOMING Faculty: JOHN CRADDOCK, Macalester College, DAVE MALONE, Illinois State University Students: JESSE GEARY, Macalester College, KATHERINE KRAVITZ, Smith College, RAY MCGAUGHEY, Carleton College. Funding Provided by: Keck Geology Consortium Member Institutions The National Science Foundation Grant NSF-REU 1005122 ExxonMobil Corporation Keck Geology Consortium: Projects 2010-2011 Short Contributions— Glacier National Park GEOMORPHIC AND PALEOENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA, U.S.A. Project Faculty: KELLY MACGREGOR, Macalester College, CATHERINE RIIHIMAKI, Drew University, AMY MYRBO, KRISTINA BRADY LacCore Lab, University of Minnesota LINKAGES BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE, VOLCANISM, AND DIATOM PRODUCTIVITY OVER THE PAST 12,900 YEARS IN SWIFTCURRENT LAKE, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA HANNAH BOURNE, Wesleyan University Research Advisor: Tim Ku A CONTINUOUS LATE HOLOCENE RECORD OF PALEOCLIMATE CHANGE FROM GRINNELL LAKE SEDIMENT CORES, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA JONATHAN GRIFFITH, Union College Research Advisor: Donald Rodbell HOLOCENE FIRE HISTORY OF THE SOUTHERN SWIFTCURRENT BASIN: A PALEOENVIRONMENTAL STUDY OF GLACIER NATIONAL PARK JACQUELINE KUTVIRT, Macalester College Research Advisor: Kelly MacGregor VEGETATION HISTORY OF THE LATE HOLOCENE IN EAST GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA: A PALEOENVIRONMENTAL STUDY EMMA LOCATELLI, Macalester College Research Advisor: Louisa Bradtmiller CARBON SIGNAL IN ALPINE LAKE SEDIMENT DURING THE HOLOCENE IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA SARAH MATTESON, Bryn Mawr College Research Advisor: Don Barber GEOCHEMICAL EVIDENCE OF ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACTS ON SWIFTCURRENT LAKE, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT PERRY ODDO, Franklin and Marshall College Research Advisor: Christopher J. Williams SUBSURFACE SEISMIC REFRACTION IMAGING OF GLACIAL TILL/BEDROCK INTERFACE IN GRINNELL VALLEY, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA CLARK BRUNSON SIMCOE, Washington and Lee University Research Advisor: Romain Meyer Keck Geology Consortium Pomona College 185 E. 6th St., Claremont, CA 91711 Keckgeology.org 24th Annual Keck Symposium: 2011 Union College, Schenectady, NY GEOCHEMICAL EVIDENCE OF ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACTS ON SWIFTCURRENT LAKE, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT PERRY ODDO, Franklin and Marshall College Research Advisor: Christopher J. Williams INTRODUCTION Proterozoic siltstones, shales, and mudstones, ranging from 800-1600 Ma (Carrara, 1990). 2010 marked the centennial anniversary of the com- memoration of Glacier National Park, and since its dedication, the region has experienced increasingly severe effects of anthropogenic disturbance. As atmo- spheric CO2 concentrations continue to rise, most—if not all—of the Park’s remaining glaciers are projected to disappear by 2030 (Hall and Fagre, 2003), so it has become more important than ever to understand how humans impact this environment. The sediments preserved in the Park’s glacially-fed alpine lakes reflect important climatic and geochemical changes in response to anthropogenic influence (MacGregor et al., 2011). Figure 1. Topographic map of Swiftcurrent Lake, Glacier Swiftcurrent Lake acts as a particularly sensitive National Park. Core GNP-SWF10-7A-1P-1 was extracted archive of environmental changes in Glacier National from the northwestern sub-basin, pictured in red abovea Park. This study used a shallow surface core (42 cm) extracted from the northern sub-basin of Swiftcurrent Lake to investigate the hypothesis that development Swiftcurrent Lake lies approximately 17.5 km south- in the lake’s basin drives changes in the sediment west of Babb, Montana, at an elevation of ~1,490m source and chemistry. Stable isotopes, elemental (Fig. 1). The lake is approximately 1.6 km long and composition, and mineralogical analyses were used 0.5 km wide, and bathymetric mapping conducted in to reconstruct the lake’s recent geochemical history July 2010 indicates that it reaches depths of ~5-12.2 in the hopes of using this information to better under- m. Swiftcurrent Lake is divided into two sub-basins stand how humans affect the Park’s delicate ecosys- separated by a 3-4 m tall discontinuous ridge (Fig. 2). tem. The southwestern sub-basin